Combustion-engine of the rotary type



G. T. WILLIAMS.

COMBUSTION ENGINE 0F THE ROTARY TYPE.

. Arucnmn FILED FEB.|1.1919. :11, 1920.

I lE T/VIIIIEMLE.

G. T. vv'lLLlArx/ls.

COMBUSTION ENGINE 0F THE ROTARY TYPE.

1,339,730. EPPLICATION FILED FEE-17,1919. May 11,

2 SHI-.ETS--SHEET 2.

v Wf/M GEORGE T. WILLIAMS, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

COMBUSTION-ENG-INE OF THE ROTARY TYPE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented vlVIay 11, 1920.

Application led February 17, 1919. Serial No. 277,448.

To zZ-Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. WILLIAMs,

a citizen of the United States, residingvat Oakland, in the county ofAlameda and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Combustion Engines of the Rotary Type, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in explosiveengines and more particularly to those o f the rotary type, in which thegases are ignited in an explosive chamber supported by the rotor housingfrom which said gases pass into said rotor housing and impart motion tothe rotor by means of the impact of the gases against the vanes of therotor wheel.

An object of this invention is the pro-l vision of an explosive engineof the rotary type embodying a rotor wheel adapted and so constructed soas to produce a means for compressing the gases within the combustionchamber by said wheel.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an explosiveengine of the rotary type so constructed so as to produce an air cooledengine having air intake means and exhaust means cooperating therewith.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of anexplosive engine of the rotary type so constructed that the rotor wheelcooperates with a series of valves in such a manner so as tocontinually'draw cool air into the rotor housing and thus Hush the burntgases from the interior of said rotor through certain of said valveswhile the combustion chambers are iiushed by a suitable flush valveoperated by a means connected with the drive shaft of said rotor.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides in thenovel features of construction, formation, combinations and arrangementsof parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed landillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my. improved combustionengine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary sectional View taken on line3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of my engine,illustrating the exterior construction of the combustion chambers, thevalves coperating therewith and the casing.

Fig. 5, is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 6, is a perspective view of the casing of one of the exhaust valvesremoved.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the rotor wheel, illustrating a portion ofthe cam surface thereof and the vanes. of said Wheel.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the rotor wheelillustrating the application of rings thereto, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of rotorwheel, which may be used in connection with a circular shaped housing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by similar characters ofreference throughout the numeral 10 denotes in general my improvedcombustion engine, which comprises a suitable housing 11 composed ofthree sections, an outer section 12 and two inner sections 13 and 13'..The outer section.12 of the housing 11 has a series of compressionvalves 14 substantially secured thereto in spaced relation to each otherupon the outer periphery of said section 12, which is4 suitablyconstructed at such points as clearly illustrated, by Fig. 4 of theaccompanying drawing, to permit their substantial securement thereto.y

These valves 14 may be of any suitable construction throughout, but areas illustrated by the drawings composed of a casing 15 in which a slidevalve 17 is slidably mounted and normally held in an extended positionby means of a compression spring 18, engaging the outside of said casing15 and connected with the stem 19 of said slide valve 17. I

Substantially secured in close proximity to each of the above mentionedvalves 17, is a combustion chamber 20 which is also secured to the outerperiphery of the section 12 in a similar manner to that of thecompression valves 14. This combustion chamber 20 is composed of twosections, which are designated by the numerals 21 and 22, both of whichhave a suitable flange 23 formed integral therewith by which they areheld into engagement With each other and through which bolts or the like24 are passed to substantially bind both sections together,

while a suitable offset flange portion 25 isprovided by the continuationof each of the flanges 23 to produce a means whereby said sections 21and 22 of the combustion chamber 20, after assembled, may besubstantially secured to the section 12 of the housing 11 by similar tapbolts 24 to those used for binding the sections 21 and 22 of thecombustion chamber 20 together. Thus it will be readily seen byreferring to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing that the section 12 ofthe housing 11 at the point of engagement with the combustion chamber20, is so constructed that said combustion chamber 20 may be readilyapplied to said housing 11 and substantially secured thereto while theslightest undesired movement is still further limited by a seat 26formed in the section 12 of the housing 11 and'in which the section 21of the combustion chamber 20 is seated, this feature being clearlyillustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

The section 22 of said combustion chamber 20 is 'provided with a sparkplug 27 suitably located therein while in close proximity to same ismounted a flush valve 28 which comprises a bracket 29 substantiallysecured to the section 22 of said combustion chamber 20 by means of studscrews 30 or the like, while centrally passing through said bracket 29is a valve stem 31 upon the lowerl extremity of which is secured a valvehead 32 adapted to seat itself in a suitable aperture 33 formed in thesection 22 of said combustion chamber 20, the object of which will behereinafter more fully described. Mounted upon said bracket 29 and inengagement with theupper end of said valve stem 31 is a suitable coilspring 34 which as clearly illustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanyingdrawing will hold the valve head 32 seated in the aperture 33 formed inthe section 22 of said combustion chamber 20 when the flush valve 28 isin its normal position.

Secured to the extreme upper end of the valve stem 31 is a rock arm 35,one end of which is pivotally secured to said valve stem 31 while theopposite end is pivotally secured to a slide rod 36 the opposite end ofwhich is provided with a suitable rounded face 37 adapted to freely rideupon the smooth periphery of a suitable cam 38 substantially keyed to adrive shaft 39. This slide rod 36 is held in the desired position by aVplurality of guide brackets 40, through which the said slide rod 36 ismovable, one of these guide brackets 40 being secured to the section 13of the housing 11 and extending therefrom a suitable distance to engageanother slide rod 41,

the object of which will be hereinafter more fully described. The otherof said-brackets 40 being formed integral with the section 22 of thecombustion chamber 20 and also adapted to permit the free movement ofthe slide rod 36 therethrough in a similar manner to the previouslymentioned bracket 40 and for the same purpose, while formed integralwith this bracket is an upward extended arm 42, which pivotally engagesthe rock arm 35 intermediate its two ends, thus providing a supportingmeans for the same, which will permit the rocking movement of said rockarm 35 thereon, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described,

Keyed to the drive shaft 39 and in close proximity withthe cam 38 isanother cam 43 which engages the rounded face 44 formed at the .lowerextremity of the slide rod 41, which operates a suitable intake valve 45which may be of any suitable construction throughout and is adapted toreceive the fuel through a pipe line 46 connected with a suitablereservoir, not illustrated by the accompanying drawing, but which may beplaced or supported where desired. The fuel being fed into the intakevalve 45 through the pipe line 46 is permitted at the proper moment bythe movement of the valve 45 to pass into the housing 11 through thepipe 47, which engages the section 12 in which the gases are compressedin a manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

While the above description and construction of the combustion chamberand compression valve seems at this point to be directed to but one ofeach, it is of course to be understood and remembered that thisdescription of the operation of the different members coperating withsame and the construction of same, are alike in all such valves andcombustion chambers embodied in my invention and illustrated by theaccompanying drawings and that the series of exhaust valves 48,compression valves 14 and combustion chamber 20, are all similar inconstruction throughout and are secured to the section 12 of the housing11 in a similar manner, the section 12 of the housing 11' being similarin construction at these points to that of the construction at thepoints of engagement with the compression valves 14. The only differencein construction' between the compression valves 14 and the exhaustvalves 48 is in the casing 15 and the slide valve 17, the latter in theexhaust valve 48 has an opening 49 formed therein, while the casing 15has an extension 50 formed integral therewith which has an opening 51corresponding to that of the opening 49 of the slide valve 17 andadapted to register with said opening 49 at ,intervals thus producing aclear exhaust from said housthe .casing l5, with a suitable opening 52'formed in the section 12 of the housing 11, as clearly illustrated byFig. 1 of the `accompanying drawings.

The drive shaft 39 as clearly illustrated by Fig. 2 of the accompanyingdrawing` passes centrally through both side walls of the sections 13 and13 and the rotor, and has keyed thereto intermediate the side walls 13and 13', the rotor wheel 53 which has approximately one half of itsperiphery provided with suitable vanes 54 extending outwardly therefromand strengthened on both sides thereof by a wall 55, as clearlyillustrated p by li'ig. 7 of the accompanying drawing, while theremaining periphery of said rotor wheel 53 is formed so as to produce acam surface 56 which is clearly illustrated by Fig. 1 of theaccompanying drawings and which at its terminals of connection with thevanes 54 is provided with a plurality of suitable grooves 57, for thereception of suitable bands or rings 58.

The end of the drive shaft 39 opposite to the end carrying the cams 38and 43 has keyed Athereto the customary fly wheel 59, whilethe-'opposite end of said drive shaft 39 is to be utilized as the driveend from which motion may be imparted in the customary manner to theobject desired.

This whole device as previously described is supported by a suitablebase 60, composed of two sections 61, both of which are formed y to fitthe curvature of the housing 11 so that the same may be secured to thehousing by means of extra long stud bolts 63 passing through the flangesof the outer and inner sections 12-13 and'13 at suitable points ofcontact between the housing 11 and the sections 61. It is to beremembered in connection with these sections 61, that extra long steelbolts 63 are only passed through the flanges of the sections 12-13 and13 at the points where they engage the sections 6l of the base 60. Theremaining portion of flanges of the sections 12-13 and 13 of the housing11 being substantially secured together by stud bolts 64 of a suitablelength.

It is also to be remembered that while I have illustrated aI rotor wheeland housing of the construction set forth above, that I may use inconnection with this invention a housingV of cylindrical formation incross section to enable me to embody therein a modified form of rotorwheel which I have illustrated by Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawingsand which is very similar in construction to my preferred form of rotorwheel previously described, with the exception that this modified vformhas vanes 54,

which appear circular in elevation while a central rib yor partition 65passes horizontally through said vanes 54 and longitudinally aroundapproximately half of the periphery of the rotor wheel 53 and terminatesat both points where the cam surface 56 of said rotor wheel 53originates It is also to be further understood that while theaccompanying drawings illustrate the supporting base of this device, asmade in two sections and bolted to the rotor housing, that thissupporting base may be made integral therewith by casting the base withthe section 12 of the housing 11 at this point.

The operation of this combustion engine is as follows The engine isturned over manually by rotating the fly wheel or in any other suitablemanner and as same is turned the rotor wheel rotates within the casing,the cam sur-l face of same engaging the slide valves of the exhaust andcompression Valves as it passes beneath each of same; thus forcing eachof said slide valves in an upward direction, within their respectivecasing whereby at different periods during the rotation of said rotorwheel-the compression andexhaust valves will assume the position,illustrated by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, in which the camsurface of said rotor wheel is in engagement with one of the slidevalves of the compression valve, which upon further rotation of therotor wheel in the direction of travel will be forced upwardly and intoits respective casing, where it will be held upon further rotation ofsaid rotor wheel, as thefvanes of the same pass therebeneath, by meansof the side walls of said vanes engaging the same at opposite endsthereof as illustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, until thewheel has rotated sufficiently to have passed all of the vanestherebeneath said slide valve,

sol

whereupon said slide valve again engages l the cam surface of said rotorwheel and rides thereover thus performing the previously explainedoperation over again.

This movement of the cam surface of the rotor wheel in connection withthe slide valve therefore produces at the points of engagement withthese slide valves, a compression chamber A and as a combustion chamberis mounted in close proximity with each of these compression valves andthe fuel providing means engaging the rotor housing therebelow, it willbe readily seen that the fuel enters the rotor housing in the spaceformed between the periphery of a portion of the cam surface of therotor wheel and a by said rotor wheel and forced through the l opening Bformed in the rotor housing and the combustion chamber, and into saidcombustion chamber where it is ignited through the medium of a suitablespark plug at' which moment the rotor wheel having rotated to the pointwhere the vanes of the same will be in position directly beneath saidopening B to receive the impact of the gases thereon which will' forcesaid rotor wheel in the direction of travel until each of the remainingcompression valves and combustion lchambers perform the same operationin connection 'therewith7 during the process of which the maximum speedof said rotor is obtained and retained as long as desired and until theoperator deems it necessary to cut off the engine, which may beaccomplished by any suitable means, not illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings.

One of the cams carried by the shaft is adapted to operate the fuelfeeding valve at the proper moment while the other of said cams, isadapted to operate the flush valve in such a manner as to permit thecool air to be drawn into the rotor housing by the suction produced bythe rotor wheel when in motion and which is exhausted together with theburnt gases from the rotor housing and colnbustion chambers through theexhaust valves, as clearly illustrated by Fig. 1 of the accompanyingdrawings while any remaining gases in said combustion chambers will bedrawn out by the continued rotationof the rotor wheel thereby creating apartial vacuum in the compression space A, so that when gas intake valve45 is opened gas will flow freely into said compression space by meansof atmospheric pressure and mix with the air already contained therein.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a rotor which compresses thegases through the medium' of the rotor wheel within said rotor housingand a rotor that is air cooled throughout, through the medium ofsuitable valves coperating with the rotor wheel, which itself providesby its arrangement of vanes, a means similar to that of a fan fordrawing and circulating cool air into said rotor housing.

It is now thought that the above description together with theaccompanying drawings, sufliciently sets forth the construction andoperation of this device, to enable those familiar with this art toreadily understand the construction, operation and many advantages ofthe same. It should be understood however, in this connection, thatvarious minor changes in the details of construction may be resorted towithin the scope of the appended claims, without departing from orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. y

From the foregoing disclosure taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be manifest that I have provided a combustion engineof the rotary type, which is simple in construction, and will fulfil allof the necessary requirements of such a device. y

Having thus fully described this invention, what I claim as new anddesire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. A combustion engine comprising a rotor, means for feeding fuelintosaid rotor, means embodied in said rotor for compressing gasestherein, a series of members adapted to receive said compressed gasesfor ignition therein and means provided by said rotor for cooling thesame by air and means for exhausting said air therefrom.

2. A combustion engine comprising a housing, a series of combustionchambers mounted thereon, a rotor wheel mounted within said housing,means mounted in-close proximity with each of said combustion chambersand engaging the rotor wheel whereby a compression chamber is providedintermediate said rotor wheel and the housing, means for feeding fuelinto said compression chamber, a series of exhaust means provided bysaid housing, means provided by said rotor wheel for operating saidexhaust means, a means provided by each of said combustion chamberswhereby the burnt gases may be flushed therefrom.

3. A combustion engine comprising a housing, a series of combustionchambers mounted thereon, a movable member mounted in close proximity toeach of said combustion chambers, a series of movable members 'mountedin spaced relation to each of said combustion chambers, a rotor wheelmounted within said housing, and provided with a limited cam surface forengagement with said movable members, a series of vanes provided upon alimited portion of said rotor wheel, a means provided by said rotorwheel whereby the movable members are prevented from engaging the vanesof the rotor wheel, means for feeding fuel in to said housing and meansprovided for permitting the passage of air into the housing and theexhausting of same therefrom as an air cooling means for the rotor.

4. A combustion engine comprising a housing, a series of combustionchambers mounted thereon, a movable means mounted in close proximitywith each of said combustion chambers, a series of movable membersmounted in spaced relation to each of said combustion chambers, a rotorwheel mounted within said housing, a movable means mounted upon each ofsaid combustion chambers, a shaft supporting said rotor wheel a meansconnected therewith for moving the last mentioned means, to permit thepassage of cool air into each of said combastion chambers to flush theburnt gases each one of the series of movable members therefrom, asecond means connected With for exhausting gases from said rotor. saidshaft for feeding fuel into the housing,

means provided by the rotor Wheel whereby GEORGE T. WILLIAMS. i thefirst mentioned movable means and the Wltnesses: movable members aremoved upon rotation OSCAR C. NIELSEN,

of said rotor wheel and means provided by JULIUs C. NIX.

